The following description relates to electrical contactors and, more particularly, to an electrical contactor mounting assembly with an integrated contactor mounting post that is capable of dissipating heat.
Contactor assemblies are used in electrical applications, such as aircraft power distribution systems, where power and current flow control of a multi-phase power distribution system is required. A primary power distribution assembly typically has a panel on which several electrical contactors are mounted. Known mounting assemblies used to mount electrical contactors to the panels are constructed of thermally and electrically resistive materials, such as plastics, FR-4 or other woven resin fabric materials.
Each of the contactors is connected to an electrical bus bar and allows current to flow through the contactor and the corresponding bus bar whenever the contactor is in a closed position. The electrical power and current flow through the contactors is controlled by mechanically actuating a contact plate within the contactor such that, when current flow is desired to pass through the contactor, the contact plate is pushed into electrical contact with two leads and forms an electrical path coupling the leads and thereby allowing current to flow through it. Due to the amount of current traveling from the leads to the connector, heat is generated at the contact points and should be removed in order to prevent heat buildup.
To dissipate the generated heat, contactor mounting assemblies have previously used thermally conductive electrical connections to allow the heat from the contact to be transmitted to the bus bars connected to each of the contactor's leads whereby the bus bars then dissipate the heat into the atmosphere using natural convection and radiation techniques. Such cooling methods tend to be inefficient, however, for certain high power applications.